This document summarizes key themes in the representation of race according to Alvarado's Theory from 1987. It identifies themes of certain racial groups being represented as exotic, dangerous, humorous, pitied, or sexualized. It also discusses tokenism and how conflict is often characterized through binary opposition between ethnic groups and wider society, emphasizing difference and stereotypes.

1. Ethnicity
and race

2. Alvarado Theory (1987)
• Key themes in racial
representation
– Exotic
– Dangerous
– Humorous
– Pitied
– Sexualised

3. Exotic
• Being ‘the other’
• Represented as
strange / unusual
• Assume point of
view of white
people – called
‘white eye’
(Hall, 1990)

4. Dangerous
• Threat to society
• Taking advantage
of society
• Underlying
institutional
racism

5. Humourous
• In 70s race was vehicle
for comedy
• Programmes removed
threat of races by
making them butt of
jokes
• Modern programmes made by ethnic
minorities laugh at themselves

6. Pitied
• Deprived groups or
victims of natural
disasters such as
famine, floods,
conflicts
• Images of children
used to gain
sympathy

7. Sexualised
• Sexually violent –
links to own culture
• Threat to our society
through rape
• Men and women
from ethnic groups
seen as sexual objects (gaze theory)

8. Tokenism
• Limited inclusion or artistic/political
representation of traditionally marginalised
group, usually creating false impression
• E.g. purposefully including a member of a
minority race, such as a black character in an
all white cast

9. Conflict
• Ethnicity characterised by unity and conflict.
• Conflict often binary opposition of ethnic groups
and wider society
• Difference and diversity emphasised
• Stereotypes ethnicity as close knit community
• United through religious beliefs, games and work,
as well as culture
• Representation of illegal immigrants – us vs them

10. Conflict
• Tendency in media to link knife crime and
gang culture to young black males
• Stereotypes as ethnic minorities as dangerous,
both physically and also to British ideology
• Part of ‘moral panic’